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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26551489">Phanniemay 2017 [Year of the DIY]</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoGhost/pseuds/EchoGhost'>EchoGhost</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phanniemay &amp; Dannymay Challenges [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Danny Phantom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Reverse Trio AU, Abigail the Tree Girl Saga, Accident, Alien Danny - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Space, Bleeding Ectoplasm, Blood and Injury, Childhood, Childhood Memories, Crossdressing, Cyborg Tucker, Danny has always been weird, Diary/Journal, Double Reverse Trio AU, Ectoplasm, Episode: s01e20 Control Freaks, Family Fluff, Fluff, Food, Future, Gen, Ghost Defense System part 1, Ghost Hunting, Ghost Theories, High School, Injury, Jealousy, Maddie being a good mom, Memories, Mind Control, Movie Night, Obligatory Romeo and Juliet, One Shot Collection, One Word Prompts, Peace, Phanniemay (Danny Phantom), Prose Poem, Red - Freeform, Reminiscing, Rituals, School Play, Sick Character, Space AU, Symbolism, The things this boy has to do for extra credit, Thunder and Lightning, Thunderstorms, Void!Danny, becoming more ghostly, but without the vore or cannibalism, dream - Freeform, fangs, ghost hunger, goth danny, malfunction, moms, mother-son bonding, not long after The Accident, picture day, scifi, stories, stuck, swap, trouble with powers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2017-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2017-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:21:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26551489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoGhost/pseuds/EchoGhost</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>So in 2017, there was no official Phanniemay, but it was suggested to just fill in prompts that were missed in previous years instead. So that's what I did!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phanniemay &amp; Dannymay Challenges [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847095</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Day 01 - Picture Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Picture Day at Casper High!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt originally from 2013 Day 13</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Say cheese.” the camera flash was quick. “Alright, who's next?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kid was still on the seat, dazed by the bright light. It was a moment too long as the next kid in line tapped her foot impatiently. “Hurry up I've only got so long before my curls come back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam sighed, “Then why did she even bother?  It's not like she straightens it any other day of the week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that why you brought a second outfit today?” Tucker teased, turning back to face them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duh, I wasn't going to let my Mother's terrible fashion choice be captured forever. It wouldn't represent the real me,” she added a fresh layer of her deep purple lipstick for emphasis. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny couldn't help but smile. He just hoped that any of his ‘real self’ wouldn't show up on camera. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, when the pictures were developed he was the only student to have a strange “lens flare” in every photo he was in.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Day 02 - Ectoplasm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ectoplasm is like blood for a ghost.</p><p>It's never a good thing to lose to much of it at once.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Day 15 of 2013</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Drip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Drip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought it was odd. How it could fall so slowly. Every drop seemed to hesitate, almost as if they didn't want to leave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That would be good…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If they didn't leave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Drip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He only had so much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Drip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was awfully cold.  Nothing like a nose bleed.  Just a slow steady drip, splat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed. Good thing it glowed. His friends would have an easier time finding him that way. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Drip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It spread around him, pooling out and spiraling back in.  It was actually very beautiful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would have been better if it wasn't his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or at least it would be less morbid to think about it that way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Drip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just had to stay awake a little bit longer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Drip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Splat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He'd hate for it to look like Christmas.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Day 03 - Mind Control</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>How much did Danny remember after being freed from Freakshow's control?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>originally Day 18 of 2013</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was like a dream, a bad dream anyway. The days blurred together, some pieces lost entirely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mostly it was an overarching feeling of… misbehaving.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Or at least, that's what he told them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He just couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth.  He wasn't really sure how to feel about it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At first, he really didn't remember much.  Everything was in the air (literally in his case).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But later, after everyone was safe and he was stuck in his room being grounded, did it start to come back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At first, it was just a feeling. He knew he did something wrong, maybe even a few things.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then he remembered police sirens. The sparkle of the stolen jewels and the weight of the crown on his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But what he remembered the most was the feeling of being free.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The boost to his confidence when Freak Show said he got to be the leader of the ghosts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>How not having to worry about wrong and right made everything easier.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The roar of the crowd when he did his tightrope act. The satisfying sound of the scythe’s blade as it cut the rope.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was glad that his friends never asked about what happened. They just took his word and never pressed the issue.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn't sure he could lie about it twice.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Day 04 - Stuck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So much trouble over a simple condiment.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>originally Day 16 2014</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Danny was running late for lunch, there were a few loose ectopi that had taken him from English class and he was looking forward to getting one of the bacon cheeseburger specials.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, he wasn't quite looking where he was going and he tripped. And it was the most spectacular of falls. Somehow he did a perfect 180 as he fell ending up on his back staring at the ceiling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed, laying on the ground just a little longer. What did he even trip on?  Lifting his head enough to see without getting up. There was only a single torn packet of salt. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath inwards, that was probably worse than if he'd tripped over his own feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t bother trying to figure out how he managed to trip on something so small. He pulled himself back up and ran intangibly the rest of the way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the day passed in a blur and the trip in the hallway was long forgotten by the end of school. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Danny and his friends meet up at the Nasty Burger to get a quick snack and decide what they were going to do that weekend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny and Sam went to snag a booth while Tucker waited for the food. Luckily it didn't take long, Danny didn't want people to think him and Sam were on a date. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, you have to try this!” Tucker slides into the booth, holding his drink out for the other to try with one hand and letting the tray of food skid across the table with the other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny took a long swig and instantly regretted it. “What the heck </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Peach tea, Diet Cola, and vanilla root beer,” Tucker answered taking another sip of his concoction. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that's literally the worst thing I've ever had in my mouth. And I just had a nose bleed in Ghost Form and then made the mistake of turning back before it was done.” Danny shook his head as the memory. “It was so gross.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you kidding? That sounds so hardcore!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam, no.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As a Goth, I'm obligated to be interested in your blood loss.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And yet I’m still the weirdest person at the table.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The friends laughed off their oddities and continued the rest of their meal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At some point during their stay, a salt shaker got knocked over. Maybe it was bumped by an over-excessive gesture, or maybe when Tucker had first come back to the table and let the tray go. At any rate, it had happened, the shaker had rolled causing the spill to radiate out in a semicircle in front of where Danny was sitting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then the people sitting at the table behind them asked if they could borrow their salt shaker. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was used, spilling more out,  then passed back around the other side of the booth’s sharded seatback. It returned to its table, completing a full arc.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The trio didn’t realize that there would be any consequences, that is until they went to leave. And Danny couldn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At least, not until the circle was broken.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Day 05 - Future</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny picks an elective to counter his after school activities.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>originally 2013 day 16</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Near the end of second semester, all the students had to fill out forms for what classes they wanted and needed to take the following school year. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny was a tad nervous because he wasn’t even 100% sure that he was passing enough of his classes to be moved ahead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He filled the form out anyway. It was a simple bubble scantron sheet with a packet listing of all the classes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teachers explained all the classes they had to take, the ones that everyone had to take, and the subjects that had options. The next level English class, what the levels of math classes were so you knew which one to pick based on the one you were in, all the different types of science classes you could take. When they were done they could pick to either have a free period for a study hall or an elective.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first, Danny thought about getting a free period, but then one of the electives caught his eye. Woodshop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe that could be fun. It might be nice to know how to make stuff instead of breaking things all the time. And he knew a little bit about tools just living in his house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If the class is easy, it might help his struggling GPA.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or it might just help the next time he gets thrown into his desk. Or has to use a chair as a projectile. Or crashes into a fence. Or accidentally ectoblasts someone's mailbox.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He filled in the bubble for the class so hard he broke his pencil.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Day 06 - Malfunction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shortly after his accident, Danny goes with his mom to the grocery store. He probly should have stayed home.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>prompt from 2014 calendar Day 28</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was just a simple trip to the grocery store, nothing major or life-threatening, yet Danny couldn’t keep his cool. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ride there his powers kept acting up and he didn’t know why. He had them for less than a month and they still went haywire at the worst times.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>First, he caught his reflection in the side-view mirror and his eyes were glowing green. He had to keep rubbing his eyes and pretending an eyelash fell in just to keep his mom from seeing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then after his eyes switched back to blue, he started phasing through his seat. He hoped he hadn’t made it to obvious that he was gripping onto the door for dear life, that it looked nice and casual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they finally made it to the store he couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. He made a quick beeline for the front of the store and walked smack into the doors. Face first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was still rubbing his sore nose when his mom caught up to him with the shopping cart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh sweetie, did you walk too fast for the sensor to see you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny nodded. It was more likely that he was his powers again.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Day 07 - Rituals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>To keep the students of Casper High safe, the school board enacts a new Ghost Defense System. It works a little too well.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>prompt from the 2013 calendar, day 27</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I can’t believe that they turned down our proposal!” Jack’s voice carrying up the stairs easily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As the town’s leading experts I seriously think they need to reconsider as well,” Maddie added just as exuberantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mom, Dad, please, they said they didn’t want weapons at the school, Ecto or otherwise. Can you please not make a big deal about this.” Jazz tried her best to talk some reason into their parents.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny groaned as he pulled himself out of bed, knowing them they’d try to start patrols around the building until they got their way if Jazz couldn’t get them to settle down. He quickly got dressed and made his way downstairs and hoped he could slip into the kitchen before he left without getting noticed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was noticed. “Danny sweetie, you’ve got to let the teachers know how much better a job we’d do if they just let us!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny carefully edged his way around the room towards the PopTarts nodding, “Sure, mom I’ll let them know.” he grabbed a pack and had to duck under his mom’s outstretched arm to exit the room. “Well me and Jazz better get going, wouldn’t want to be late.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His parents relented, not wanting the school to have any reason not to trust their level of responsibility. Or at least that’s what they said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny was able to get to his first period class on time and was feeling relatively good about the day in general. Know this is when things start to go wrong for him, he did his best to enjoy the day, but was careful to keep his guard up too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Strangely there wasn’t a single ghost attack. The only problem he had was that Dash failed his Lit. test and Danny had to put up a good chase. After 3rd period he started to get a headache. He figured it was all the unnecessary running he had to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By lunch, he was feeling so drained he lost his appetite. Must be coming down with something, was all he could think of when his friends asked if he was alright.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In 8th period Sam spoke up. “You look terrible. Why don’t you just go home?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“With the day almost over? I might as well stick it out.” his argument punctuated by sniffling and mouth breathing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you even breath?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not out my nose. it’s ...busy?” Danny paused, that wasn’t the right word. “Tuck, what’s the word that’s like a traffic jam for your face?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Congested? And you look more than just congested man. Seriously, just go home. I think you’re turning green.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Na, I’m fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why did you even get out of bed this morning?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Easy. I wasn’t sick this morning.” Danny explained. “Did I fight any ghosts today?” everything in his brain was so foggy now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No man, that was yesterday. There hasn’t been any ghost activity all day actually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Weird.” Danny shivered and was starting to reconsider staying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess the new ghost defense system is working then.” Sam shrugged, or at least Danny assumed she did, it was getting harder to keep his eyelids from closing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“New ghost defense system? But my parents said they didn’t get to do it.” He tried his best to stifle a cough, but only made his headache worse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no, they found some more natural ways to do it. I think they went through and burned sage in all the classrooms and old school witchy stuff like that.” Tucker explained as he checked his PDA.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Danny, you said you were feeling fine this morning right?” Sam asked cautiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” he was getting tired of sniffling and rubbed his runny nose with the back of his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then maybe you’ll want to go home now. Because you’re bleeding.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny felt the thick liquid slowly start to fall from his nose. Another wave of nausea hit and he coughed again, a horrible wet cough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled his hand away to see that he was, in fact, bleeding. But it wasn’t red.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was green.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Part one of the <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25884646/chapters/62898967">Ghost Defense System</a> story!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Day 08 - Dream [A Reverse Trio AU]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny has always loved space, dreamed of it often. With dreams so big and so bright how could the Ghost of Dreams not take notice?<br/>The Birth of Void - A Reverse Trio AU.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>prompt from the 2015 calendar, days 3-6</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He was having the nicest dream. Up among the stars, able to jump from constellation to constellation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he knew it was a dream. He could tell it wasn’t real, but he didn’t care. He was having fun and he wasn’t going to let reality get in the way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was floating in Saturn’s ring like a water park's lazy river when he was interrupted by a voice he didn’t recognize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well isn’t this lovely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny perked up and looked towards the sound but couldn’t find the source. He took off his glasses and cleaned them with his shirt and tries again. “Thanks, it’s one of my favorite dreams.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice chuckled. “Interesting, most don’t notice that they’re in a dream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged, “I come back to it a lot. It reminds me of why I want what I want to do when I finish school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt himself being lifted up from the rings like a gentle elevator. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To large red eyes opened the space above him, “Good dreams truly are the best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny nodded, “so who are you, if you don’t mind. I’ve never had a visitor like you before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pearly white smile spread under the eyes, “I don’t think you’ve meet anything like me before. I am Nocturne, King of dreams. And I think I could use your help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My help?” How could someone as weak as Danny help someone as powerful as a king? “How could I help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well you see, dreams can be powerful things, and you sweet little dreamer, have the biggest dreams I’ve ever seen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. and I think all you need is a little push in the right direction. Just a bit of help from me and you can make your dreams a reality. Would you like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His dreams, real? He could finally touch the stars in real life. “More than anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nocturne shrank to something more resembling a human’s height. He was still taller than Danny and his body was still made of the night sky, with only a slight glow around the edges to form the shape. “Come with me.” he held out his starry hand, “You’ll have to wake up a bit, but it’s the only way to truly realize the dream.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny awoke confused to see his own bedroom. Model rockets on display, star charts hung on the walls. Was it all just a dream?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was still groggy from sleep and decided a quick shower might help. He didn’t wait for the water to warm up, the cold reminding him more of his dream. He looked to the small window and even without his glasses he could tell the stars were shining brightly. He reached out as if he could grab them, just to hold them close like he could in his dreams.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his surprise, he could. The blackness of the sky ran down his arm like a thick ink and was spread more efficiently by the water. Star systems lit up across his skin like glow-in-the-dark freckles. It was so beautiful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He needed more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned off the shower and went to the roof. He reached up as high as he could, taking in the splendor of the cosmos. What a wonderful gift.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Day 09 - Gender Bend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mr. Lancer gives Danny an extra credit assignment to get involved as he can in the school’s production of Romeo and Juliet.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>prompt from 2013, day 25</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Mr. Fenton, can I see you after class.” Mr. Lancer demanded more than asked as he handed back the latest graded test, face down, on Danny’s desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny nodded and knew why. He didn’t need to see the grade to know he failed it. All the ghost fights and training had taken away from his schoolwork again. The problem was how was he supposed to explain that without revealing his secret identity?  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After all the other students had left Danny made his way to the front of the room. Surely he wouldn't be stuck in another mandatory study session, would he?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The last time we talked I really thought I had gotten through to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did! It’s just I-” he hesitated, what would be a good excuse this time?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lancer held up his hand, “I don’t want any of your excuses, I have an offer, and if you’re willing-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny perked up, was he really giving him another chance? No questions asked?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“- This is, in its most basic form, an extra credit assignment. I’m only offering it to you, and only you, because I know you have potential. I know you should be able to pass this class but you aren’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny tried his best not to smile. It was hard not to at the compliment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The thing is with the semester almost over I can’t just have you reread and retest on everything. Or I’m afraid what it would really be like is you’d be reading it for the first time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked away as that truth was spoken.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So to make sure you fulfill the requirements of the class, of understanding the literature we covered, I’ve partnered with the Drama Director on this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny cocked his head in confusion, what kind of extra credit was this?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I made up a rubric and all you have to do is join help out with the Drama Club's current play. The more you do the better score you can get.” he handed over the rubric:</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To pass this class</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To earn a ‘D’ - have this form signed and dated by the drama director after you watch the production.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To earn a ‘C’ - Do the above and join the crew and help out in any way you can, have documentation from the Director on your role(s)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To earn a ‘B’ - Do the above and get a minor role in the production.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To earn an ‘A’ - Do the tasks for D and C grades as well as get a major role in the production.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny had to read over the rubric twice. He could get an A in the play by just being in a play? He could just show up, put some paint on a door, and stand on stage during the play and get a B? Like a B in the class as a whole?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When can I start?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I believe they meet in the auditorium after school today.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>The day passed quickly enough and after a quick pit stop in the library to get a copy of the script Danny was on his way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was greeted by the Director, “You must be Daniel. I’m so glad you could make it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s Danny, actually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so I see you got the script, good, good. Unfortunately, you did miss the auditions, but I can pencil you in as an understudy if you’d like?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“An understudy? It’s a ‘just in case of emergencies’ type of role. Someone is bound to get sick or injured before the show so you’ll just fill in. Honestly, if it happens you most likely won’t even have a speaking role. Or I might need a few more bodies in Act 4…. I think I have enough extras for the Capulet’s ball.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it hasn’t even been ten minutes since the bell rang...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! No no no no, Auditions were last week. So understudy it is, also are you any good with your hands? Sewing? Art? Handy with tools? Also, I really want you to get the most out of this experience so I might call you over to help people practice their lines or if I need a stand-in for stage placement, ok?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh sure. The more I can help the better.” not only for his grade but being helpful always felt right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect! Now let’s go get you introduced to the set crew.”</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Weeks passed in no time. Anywhere he was needed he was there. He helped build parts of the set, he painted scenery, and he also ran to get snacks for everyone so they could keep working. He also helped almost every member of the cast practice their lines. He had read over that play so much the words of Shakespeare would be burned into his brain forever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the best parts of being part of the play was that he got to be near Paulina for hours at a time. She was playing Juliet after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Opening night, everyone was in a flurry of nerves and excitement. Even the director was nervously pacing the auditorium as she barked instructions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then the worst thing happened. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Paulina came out of the dressing room, the Juliet dress half ripped and hanging off her right shoulder, her makeup smeared in a kaleidoscopic mess. “I will not stand for this anymore! I told them 100 times that green looked terrible on me and yet they put this disgusting dress on me anyway!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girls in the costume department came running after her, “No you look wonderful, please come back!” they called to her, “I’m sorry it’s just that’s the only dress we have that fits you!” they tried to reason.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! I refuse to believe that! That’s it! If you can’t get your act together I quite!” she locked herself in the dressing room and you could hear her frantically taking off the dress without any care of how much it was ripping.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The costume crew kept trying to beg and plead with her through the door but her answer was still no.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With all the shouting the director came backstage, “We just start seating, why are you all yelling?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Paulina just quit!” they lamented, “We can’t do the play if she quits, but she won’t come back!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Director froze, “No Juliet? We lost our Juliet? How can we go on? I’ll have to cancel the show!”, she started to head to the stage to deliver the news to the crowd.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sudden loss of hope was nearly palpable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, we can’t just let one person ruin this for everyone. We’ve all worked so hard for this. It isn’t fair, this show isn’t put on by only one person.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But we can’t do the show without one of the title characters!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t we have an understudy for the role?” Danny asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was like turning on a light bulb, the director started to feverously flip through her clipboards notes. The cast and crew members started to smile at each other as a possibility was coming to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The director got to the proper page, “Yes! Yes we do! It’s -” then stopped dead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone turned to each other for answers. Why did she just stop? What could be wrong?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We only have one understudy.” she paused again. Was this for dramatic effect? Because it was working.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the room waited for her to continue she looked up, her eyes locking onto Danny’s, “It’s you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All eyes turned to him, he had got them all hyped about continuing and this is his reward? But the show….</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does he even know the lines?” someone asked.  “It’s not like Paulina ever practiced with him.” someone else mentioned. “We can’t just let anybody take a leading role like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he did know the lines. He knew all the lines. He could probably put on the whole show by himself if he wanted too. He just had to prove it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The others were getting lost in arguments of being unprepared. Of not trying hard enough to keep Paulina interested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny took a deep breath, if he was going to save this play he had to give it his all. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he started softly,</span>
  <em>
    <span> “Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>as the others started to quiet down he reached for more courage,</span>
  <em>
    <span> “What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He had their attention now, he only needed to finish off strong,</span>
  <em>
    <span> “O, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name, which is no part of thee take all myself.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone was silent. Did he nail it? Did he forget a line? Should he have tried to speak in an even higher voice? Was it too high?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then the director started to nod, it was subtle at first but grew more vigorous as she continued. She tucked her clipboard under her arm and clapped, “Perfect!” Oh, you can even do a falsetto.” She wiped a tear from her eye, “Girls, go make him beautiful!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The costume crew quickly steered him towards the dressing room, “With those big baby blues of his? That shouldn’t be hard!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As often as they could between scenes and during intermission, Danny would be in the makeup chair getting more and more details added to make him the fairest in all of Verona. False eyelashes, a long flowing wig with extensions, blush, lipstick, fake nails, contouring on his face, and even some on his chest to give the illusion of cleavage. By the end, he was worried that if Tucker saw him he’d try to ask him out on a date.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With Danny so willing to help everyone else decided to step up their game as well. As a result, the play got a standing ovation. Both nights.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the final performance, the Director got on stage after the big final bow and called him forward, “Oh Juliet could you stay just a little while more?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded even though he could feel his voice going, his feet were killing him, and all he wanted to do was sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just wanted to give an extra special thanks to our Juliet,” she said to the packed auditorium. “As you may have noticed we had a slight change in our cast as the original actress was unable to fulfill her role. At the last minute, we found a replacement but didn’t have the necessary resources to fix the bill. Our little Juliet is only listed as a crew member.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few audience members started to turn to their handouts to see if they could figure it out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you want me to set the record straight now dear?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny went to say no, but all that came out was a squeak and a cough as his voice died out. He shook his head quickly so she wouldn’t misunderstand him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sweetie did you just lose your voice?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, anonymity is it. How about one more round of applause for all your hard work instead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He curtsied as the crowd all stood to clap again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This might not have gone the way he planned, but it was pretty satisfying to come into school Monday morning with a strongly written letter to Mr. Lancer that got him a 110% in the class.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Day 10 - Red</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A simple color holds a lot of meaning for Danny.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2016 calendar, day 16</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was the way her armor meant danger. The way it was fueled by vengeance and rage. The way it blinded her to peace. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In his eyes, it meant that he was losing sleep. Or losing control.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In his mother’s eyes, it tinted everything she knew. It changed the meaning to a truth he was too scared to show her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was the racing of his heart and the burning on his face when a pretty girl looked his way. Or when a secret came out of the woodwork.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was the reaction of flesh when the sun was too strong.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was almost always a warning, A thing to look out for. Something to avoid. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hardly ever listened.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Day 11 - Accident</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny gets caught in a thunderstorm.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2016 calendar, day 25</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The night's breeze was refreshing after his latest ghost battle. He was glad it was just a minor ghost tonight, giving him plenty of time to fly home before curfew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was even more grateful for the rainfall. The cool water was refreshing and helped get any dirt off of his suit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thunder rumbled in the background, but he paid it no mind, he figured be home before the storm caught up with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He slowed as he felt the hairs on his arm stand on end, which was an odd sensation to feel through the tight-fitting jumpsuit. The hairs on his head soon followed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could fully process what was happening the lighting stuck. This time it was much closer, the closet it could get. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It hit him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A white-hot fire tears him in half as the clap of thunder fills every inch of his skull. He thinks this is the worst he’s ever felt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Until memories of the portal accident come screaming to the surface. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He screams in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He isn’t sure if he passed out or was just blinded by pain, he decides it doesn't matter as he catches himself a few feet from the pavement below. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He speeds home, this time invisible and intangible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He makes it back to his room and clutches his chest, afraid that he nearly died. He felt like he died.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t stop thinking about the portal. How much it hurt. How did he forget how much that had hurt?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t stop shaking. He sat on the bed to keep from falling to the floor. He didn’t even realize he was crying until the droplets hit his leg. His vision blurring as he tried to hold back the flood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lays back and burritos himself into his covers. He doesn't want to think about this anymore, it’s too late and everything hurts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He focuses on breathing and the beating of his heart. They both are way too fast right now, but that just means he’s still alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thought alone comforts him and helps him drift off to sleep.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Day 12 - Peace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jazz checks on her brother during the thunderstorm.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2016 calendar, day 30<br/>A continuation of the previous prompt, Accident.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She was studying when the rain started to tap against the window. She sure hoped Danny would be home soon, wouldn’t want him to catch a cold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a bright flash of lightning and thunder so loud it shook the whole house.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jazzy-pants, you better batten down the hatches! This storm looks like it’s going to be a real doozy!” her Dad hollered from down below.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes as she set down her text and went to the stairwell, “Alright Dad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Sweetie would you mind checking on your brother too? Make sure his window is shut tight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Good to know she did a good job earlier. To help Danny keep his little secret Jazz figured out a way to go up the stairs twice. She’d run up quickly, like Danny would, then slide down the banister and walk up again as herself. She also had to shut his door before either of their parents noticed he wasn’t there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took her time walking down the hall to her brothers’ room, maybe if she was lucky he’d actually be there. She opened the door and took a quick peek, nobody home. She shrugged and went back to her room. If they asked she’ll say he went to bed early. She sent Danny her usual, “Let me know when you get home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn’t meant to fall asleep at her desk, but there she was. She checked her phone. It was past midnight now, but still no message from Danny. She bit her lip and looked to the door. Maybe he hadn’t gotten it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She changed into her pajamas and checked her phone again. Still no message.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jazz took a deep breath and decided to only way to know for sure was to look. She carefully opened her door and slipped down the hall. The flashes of lighting were just bright enough to light her way. She knocked on Danny’s door, soft enough to not wake her parents, but hopefully loud enough for him to hear. If he was there to hear it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked down the hall as the thunder rumbled overhead. The storm seemed to be making its way out of town now. She cautiously opened his door and squeezed her way in as soon as she could, closing it up behind herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another few flashes of lightning illuminated a large bundle of blankets at an odd angle on Danny’s bed, just big enough for him to be inside. She waited a moment as her eyes adjusted more to the darkness until she could see a slight rise and fall in the blanket roll, the soft steady breathing of her sleeping brother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head. He must have come right home and gone to sleep. Storms did always make him sleepy as a kid. Good to know some things never change. “Good night little brother,” she whispered softly before going back to sleep herself.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Day 13 - Jealousy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ghost powers have made a change in Danny and Sam can’t help but notice. Or stare.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2013 calendar, day 17</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sam noticed it first. She didn’t mean to, but once she did she couldn’t stop. The more time passed the more she couldn’t believe how no one else seemed to notice. It was only getting more obvious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The worst part was with this, technically, he was more Goth than her. First, he’s basically literally dead, and now this! The worst part was he wasn’t even trying, which was truly the ultimate Goth goal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t decide on whether or not to tell Danny about this little development of not. Would get all self-conscious if she pointed it out? Had he even noticed yet himself? But how could he not? Didn’t he own a mirror?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker didn’t notice until Sam started acting suspiciously. She would keep sneaking looks and then quickly look away when she thought she was going to be spotted. At first, he was just writing it off on her little crush, but that didn’t seem quite right. She was looking at something, something real and specific. What the heck was she looking at?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He started to pay attention to where her eyes were lingering, it wasn’t Danny’s big doe eyes, it wasn’t the line of his jaw, or the profile of his face, it was something smaller…?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He finally saw it during a ghost fight. Danny had gotten smacked back and nearly crashed into the wall Tucker was hiding out by. It didn’t take long for Danny to get back up, and when he didn’t see if Tucker was ok, it was clear he hadn’t noticed him there. It happened sometimes, Danny would get really into battle and lose track of where exactly he and Sam were at, these were some of the only times that they would see Danny be the most ghost-like. His eyes would glow brighter and more fiercely, he’d sometimes sneer if he was really annoyed. This was one of those times, and that’s when Tucker saw it, just a quick glimpse before Danny shot off like a rocket back into the fray.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Tucker figured out what had been distracting his gothic friend he couldn’t help but smirk. Good to know he wasn’t the only one that got a little envious sometimes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Danny didn’t notice broke his pen in class, clean in half, without even trying. He honestly didn’t even realize that he had started chewing on it until it was too late. The ink started to spill into his mouth as he panicked. He didn’t want to cause a scene but he really needed to spit this out. Slowly he raised his hand so he could be excused when it dawned on him that he wouldn’t be able to talk. The taste of ink was overloading his senses, he needed to leave. Like right now. He ran out of class covering his mouth, he’d just have to explain when he got back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t even bother to check to see if the room was empty, he just spat everything into the sink. The end of the pen clinked around in the sea of black ink as it slowly drained. He looked up into the mirror and frowned as saw how much was still on his face. He did his best to wash out his mouth, but there was a vague gray stain around his mouth and the color of his tongue had been mostly tainted and he was really glad it wasn’t a green pen. He was doing one final look over and considering calling home for a toothbrush, then he saw it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first, he was shocked that he did not notice this sooner, but then the pieces started falling into place. He had stopped liking hard candies, they were just uncomfortable in his mouth, but he had explained that away by not keeping up with dental hygiene. He had started that habit of chewing on his pens and pencils, but he thought that was just a product of stress, not a sign of teething. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No wonder Tucker suddenly started saying all those terrible vampire jokes. And maybe that was why Sam had started wearing chains and even more eyeliner.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Day 14 - Moms</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Maddie and Danny have a nice mother-son bonding time via a pizza filled movie night.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2014 calendar, day 11</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Midterms were coming up and Maddie could tell her son was struggling. She still couldn’t figure out why his grades were slipping but lately, it seemed like he was trying. He was meeting up with his friends for study sessions, she caught him studying on the kitchen table after he had gotten home early from school one day, and he even went with Jazz to the library just last week. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could see him trying but she could also see how much stress he was under. He always looked so exhausted lately. Was he not getting enough sleep?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wanted to talk to him about it. She needed to know if he was ok, but he always seemed to avoid her now. Did he think he was in trouble all the time?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a rainy Friday when Maddie knocked on her little boy’s door. “Sweetie, can I come in?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were some sounds of hesitation before she hears, “Sure, what’s up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well”, she opened the door to see he was at his desk, books open and twiddling a pencil between his fingers, “I was wondering if you wanted to join me for a movie later. I was going to go pick up some pizza and rent that one space one...” oh darn now she couldn’t remember what it was called. “Oh, it’s got what’s-his-face in it, that slow-talking guy from the fancy car commercials?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Interstellar!” he dropped his pencil and turned to fully face her, gripping his chair and desk visibly excited.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah that’s the one!” she loved to see that glimmer in his eyes. “And it’s just going to be the two of us tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’ve your father running some errands for the lab and that usually takes a while and your sister is out tutoring tonight.” she looked to his desk, “you think you’ll be free for that later?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave his desk a side glance, “yeah. I think I can find some time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gave a few hours to himself before she went to get everything ready. Even though it was only going to be the two of them she got a larger pizza, even if she over-estimated her son’s appetite it’s not like leftover pizza would be the worst thing in the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once everything was ready she called up the stairs for Danny. He quickly ran down and plopped down on the couch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t you forgetting about something?” she looked to the pizza as a hint</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He followed her gaze, got up to go to it but she interrupted him with a simple clearing of her throat. He turned on his heel and went to wash up first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The movie was a lot longer than she thought it was going to be. Once they finished eating they had an impromptu intermission to clean up and get into pajamas. Maddie gathered up as many quilts and pillows as she could carry. She was actually surprised how many they had, Jack sure was busy with that needlepoint of his judging by all the cute little embroidered ghosts on the pillows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s all that for?” Danny asked when he came back wearing his NASA shirt and a pair of sweatpants she didn’t know he owned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just something to keep cozy with. When did you get those pants?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked down at the green galaxy print, “Oh these, Sam got ‘em. She actually got a pair for all three of us, I got the green ones, she kept the purple ones and I think Tucker’s are yellow? Or maybe his are red…” he shrugged dismissing the thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled, but couldn’t help but think how they looked like what they could see through the portal. “They look good on you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks! So we gonna finish this or what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They got back into a very comfortable position on the couch filled with the little pillows and covered in the biggest fluffiest blanket they had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a bit more of the movie, Maddie felt a slight weight fall on her shoulder, she looked down and saw the top of messy dark hair. Carefully she leaned forward and saw that his eyes had closed. Carefully she held his head in place and moved over ever so slightly and reoriented him so he was laying down, his head now on her knees. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, for old times sake. He sighed in contently and leaned into her a bit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned off the movie and let the sound of the rain against the windowpane be the soundtrack for the night.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Day 15 - Childhood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny didn’t see his first ghost at 14.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2014 calendar, day 13<br/>This is the start of my own overarching lore which I’ve dubbed the <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27052414/chapters/66047671">Abigal the Tree Girl Saga</a>,  it was continued in the 2017 Phanniemay fic Stories, then in 2018 prompt Call Back, then most recently in 2020 for the prompt Second Chances.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was late, it must have been hours since she had heard Jack’s bedtime story voice through the Baby Monitor in Danny’s room. The only sounds in the house now were the soft breathing of her sleeping family and her, working through the night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was mostly calculations and some drawings for the blueprints so she didn’t worry about causing too much noise. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was so focused on her work that she hadn’t quite registered the sound at first; a gentle creak of the floorboards above, a rush of static, and her baby’s babble. She perked up a bit when she heard his voice wondering what could have woken him she looked to the nearby clock and grimaced when she saw the time. Maybe he was getting hungry for a little early morning breakfast?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then it happened again, more static came over the monitor, and Danny babbled, almost as if in response. She set down her tools to check up on him. Hopefully, it was just some sleep-deprived driven worry and everything was fine. But it wouldn’t hurt to check.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She carried the baby monitor in her hand and carefully turned down the volume as she walked up the stairs, careful to avoid the steps that always creaked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maddie was almost to the door when she heard Danny giggle, she paused in the hall and held the monitor close to her ear, through the static is almost sounded like there was a voice, but it was so hard to tell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She opened to the door quickly only to find nothing wrong, expect that her baby had somehow managed to get out of his crib to sit in the center of the room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One time, when Danny was five, Jack left him in the living room for just a moment to grab a quick snack for them only to return to an empty room. He called for him hoping it was just a harmless game of hide and seek. Then Jack noticed that the basement door was open. He quickly barreled down the stairs and found his son sitting in the middle of the lab playing with an old toy rocket ship. The weirdest part was that Jack didn’t recognize the toy. It only got weirder when he asked Danny where he had gotten it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jack expected to hear a simple answer, like “from mom” or even “grandma sent it to me” but that wasn’t the answer he got. Danny said he got it from the shooting star man. Concerned Jack asked who that was. Danny told him that the shooting star man could glow. He said that he had fallen through the ceiling, opened the basement door, and floated partway down the stairs. Then he told Danny he had a gift for him that he could only get if he went downstairs himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Jack told his wife about that later they agreed to take the toy away to examine it. When the test results came back they tried not to focus on how hard he cried when they refused to give it back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A few weeks into the school year Maddie got a call home from Danny’s third-grade teacher. She asked if Maddie could talk to Danny about not spreading scary stories, it was starting to weird the other kids out, and he was clearly too old for imaginary friends. Maddie wasn’t quite sure what she was talking about, he didn’t say anything about it when he was at home. The teacher explained that Danny had this whole story about an imaginary girl who lived in the tree on the playground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Later Maddie asked Danny about the girl and he said her name was Abigail and that she was mostly just a shadow up in the branches. He said she never left the tree but was nice to talk to. She suggested that maybe Danny say goodbye to Abigail so he could play with the other kids instead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next day Danny came home covered in little scratches. When Maddie asked what happened Danny wouldn’t talk about it. When she called the school, the secretary said that Danny and another little boy named Dash had climbed the tree in the playground. When the supervisor came to get them out, Dash scrambled down just fine, but Danny had gotten stuck. Luckily one of the janitors was able to climb up and get him out. The thing was that they weren’t even sure how he had gotten himself tangled up in those tightly woven branches. From what the secretary had heard, as she relayed the message to Maddie, was that it almost looked like the tree had just suddenly grown around him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The secretary laughed it off, but it didn’t stop Maddie from taking Jack to investigate it later that night. The next day a fence had been put up, they said it was to keep the kids from getting hurt. It also helped keep whatever was in that tree away from Danny.</span>
</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>During his freshman year, Danny got more and more distant. Maddie worried but didn’t want to smother him either. He seemed more secretive and skittish lately. She wondered if all the increased activity from the portal bothered him. Maybe he was experiencing even more ghost activity than they realized but was afraid to tell them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wondered sometimes if he had figured it out. If he somehow put the little clues together and discovered the one thing she felt guilty about to this very day. Did he know why they had called him down to the lab when they went to turn on the portal for the first time? Because they were about to do something new, and potentially dangerous, something that they shouldn’t have their children be there to witness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Danny had always seemed to attract the exact kind of thing they were looking for. And if anything was going to happen with that portal, surely it would be more effective with him there.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Day 16 - Stories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While waiting for Danny to finish up taking down a ghost, Tucker tells Sam of a weird incident from their elementary school days.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2015 calendar, days 24-27<br/>Part 2 of the <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27052414/chapters/66047671">Abigal the Tree Girl Saga</a>! It’s continued in the 2017 Phanniemay fic Stories, then in 2018 prompt Call Back, then most recently in 2020 for the prompt Second Chances.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Danny had flown off ahead to take care of the ghost. It was one of the mindless animal types that generally were more of a nuisance than actually problem causing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker stops to catch his breath, “I think he’s got this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam nods seeing that Danny is still in view, “You wanna just hang out here?” she jabs her thumb towards the playground nearby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker nods and they head towards the swings. He tosses Danny’s backpack aside and takes a seat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Man, I haven’t been here in forever,” his feet just barely pushing off the ground as he looks towards the elementary school.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you guys went here?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I thought we told you that back when we meet in middle school?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam shrugs, “Probably,” she kicks off a little harder and lets the moment carry her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker’s snicker grabs her attention, “What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re in my shower Sam.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s head knocks back in annoyance, “Oh my god, what are you five?” she swings harder so they no longer are in sync. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She does her best to ignore his immaturity when a large Oak tree caught her attention. “Hey, what’s with the tree fence?” she stops short and points to the small fence that surrounds the large tree, it seems like it’s too close to really stop anyone from doing anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, that? That was to keep us from climbing it. I think it used to be farther out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just telling you guys not to do something wasn’t enough?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker laughs and stops swing to talk to her better, “Well it was at first. But Danny’s actually the reason it went up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? I can’t picture him being such a trouble maker.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think he got dared up or something?” Tucker thinks for a moment, tapping his lips in concentration, “Yeah that’s right! The tree girl!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tree girl?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah back in, like, third grade, Danny had this imaginary friend who lived up in the tree. Aw man, he was so convinced she was real too. I think she even had a name, like this supernormal name. What was it again? Oh right, Abigail.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Abigail the tree girl?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I was almost convinced she was real too. The way he described her and talked to her every recess. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was the only one who ever saw her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That doesn't explain the fence though?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh right! So one day Dash and a few other kids start teasing Danny about how the tree girl isn’t real. And then says that the only way to prove it is to go up and bring her down, right. And everyone starts egging them on, like ‘yeah that makes sense go up and get her if she’s there.’ but then Danny gets really against the idea, at first we all think it’s cuz we aren’t supposed to climb the tree and Danny’s one to follow the rules right? But no. he starts saying if they go up they won’t be able to come down. But Dash basically points out how convenient of an excuse that is, of course not with those words cuz we were like eight and I think he still doesn't know those words.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two let out a quick chuckle before Tucker continued his story. “So Dash starts saying if Danny won’t go up to get her then he will. And up he goes, no hesitation, and then Danny keeps trying to call him down, but that just makes Dash go higher. Then Danny gets the nerve to follow him up! And now I’m there like, ‘Dude you just said not to go up and now you’re going up? What are you doing?’ but he’s so focused on getting Dash out of the tree he isn't listening to me. And then the teachers finally notice all of us by the tree and start yelling at us to get out of there and Dash jumps out of the tree and runs off before he gets in trouble but Danny doesn't come down. And everyone else has scattered but he’s still up there. And then he starts freaking out. Somehow he got stuck and can’t get down, but he’s blaming the tree girl. And the teachers can’t get him to calm down enough to climb back down, and he’s up really high so we can’t even really see him from the ground. A janitor ends up climbing up there, and then all these leaves and sticks start falling down. And when they come down Danny’s got all these little scratches from the tree branches and the janitor says that Danny got stuck in some weird tree nest, like, all these branches had grown together and somehow Danny got caught inside. I think it was like when you get your hand stuck in a railing, kind of thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did he ever say how he got stuck? Like did he fall in or something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the weirdest part. He wouldn’t talk about it. And after that, he never went near the tree again. I wonder if he remembers it?” Tucker leaned back a little in the swing to see Danny use the thermos and end the fight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, something about that doesn't feel right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do ya mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just, Danny’s a terrible liar. Are you sure he was making it up? Maybe there is something up there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker turned to her with a raised brow, “Are you trying to tell me you think the overactive imagination of an eight-year-old is trustworthy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really think that it’s such a stretch that a tree is haunted?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But that was at least 6 years before the portal accident.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, he does have a ghost sense.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No way!” he stood up from the swing so fast it flailed in his absence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, let’s just ask him! Then you’ll see I’m right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“20 bucks you’re wrong!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine! 20 bucks </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m right</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Sam jumped out of the swing and held out her hand to seal the deal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The friends shook on it as Danny landed beside them. “What are you doing?” he asked with a chuckle as he transformed back into his human form.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Danny, do you remember Abigail?” Tucker asked quickly handing Danny his backpack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Abigail?” Danny questioned as he slipped the thermos into his bag.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, the tree girl.” Sam clarified as she pointed to the tree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny turned to where she was pointing and froze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam and Tucker looked at each other. Was he remembering or did he see something?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should go.” Danny turned abruptly away and quickly walked between his friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They couldn’t help but noticed the fine mist of his ghost sense trail behind him as they followed him out.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Day 17 - Swap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>How did Danny end up goth anyway?</p><p>This is for the Double Reverse Trio AU; in which Tucker is the Halfa with ghost hunter parents, Sam is the nerd/geek, and Danny is the rich Goth.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2014 calendar, day 20</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>To be honest, he never really meant to be Goth. It just sort of happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, his black clothes came from his love of space, luckily with his parents’ money, he was able to get a whole bunch of stuff with galaxy print long before it was cool. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then after the portal accident at Tucker’s place… he couldn't resist the pun. He started wearing black to mourn his dead friend, his half-dead friend. He kept waiting for someone to ask what the sudden change was for, but when no one did he decided to keep the joke to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, on a dare from Tucker, he got his first piercing.  It was all downhill from there, at least in his parents’ eyes. In Danny's eyes, it just opened the door to </span>
  <em>
    <span>accessories</span>
  </em>
  <span>, which honestly was like 90% of Goth attire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So even though he ended up with this gothic appearance, but still couldn't get that gloomy demander down. Not that he really cared if he was doing it “right” or not.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Day 18 - SciFi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p><a href="https://ghostfiish.tumblr.com/space-au">Space AU</a> by the lovely Ghostfiish of Tumblr. <br/>Short version, basically Star Trek and Danny is the Clark Kent of an alien species known as Halphas who was adopted by the Fentons and raised as their own. Since he’s the last of a dead race, they decided to keep it a secret.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2016 calendar, day 15</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The lengths his parents went to protect the secret of his Halpha status never ceased to amaze him. The amount of money they had to spend on makeup, hair dye, contacts, and clothes to hide his natural colors was one thing, but having to keep up with his diet must have been a whole other hurdle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, he didn’t really notice any of this as he was growing up. He only came to appreciate it once he was middle of one of his longest away missions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was getting ready in the “morning” (or at least that’s what they called it despite being too far from any star to have a proper sunrise) when he did his usually once over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Were his roots showing? Nope. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did he need to reapply any of his foundation? Just a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stuck out his tongue and frowned. It was starting to look a bit too green in there. He rummaged through his drawers and found the small drawstring bag he was looking for. He pulled it out and reached in to grab a small round ball. He quickly popped it in his mouth and got a small twinge of nostalgia.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>When he was still pretty young the Fenton’s had discovered that he wasn’t getting enough copper in his diet but the only thing they had with enough were some out-dated pennies. Luckily even though they had been taken out of circulation years prior they were a collector’s item and it wasn’t too suspicious that they would want to start a vintage coin collection, requesting as many pure-copper pennies as they could get their hands on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next problem was to find a way to let Danny consume them without being too obvious that he was eating money.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Jazz pointed out that they should figure out a way to get makeup in Danny’s mouth, otherwise his green tongue was gonna give him away. Luckily Maddie knew her way around a kitchen.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>He was getting close to finishing the first and he did a quick tongue check. Still a little too green. He popped another and let the cherry flavoring wash over his, hopefully now human colored, tongue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could finish putting away his things Tucker came in. Danny did a quick hip-bump to the drawer to hide his makeup stash but forgot about the bag in his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker’s cybernetic eyes did not miss it, “Dude is that candy? Are you hiding delicious Earth treats from me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No.” Danny pulled the bag closer to his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It sure smells like candy,” he said as he approached. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not candy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> He held out his hand, “At least let me try one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “I only have so many” he held the bag up out of Tucker’s reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker pressed up against Danny and tried his best to reach up the other arm for the bag. “Just order more at the next supply station.” he got on his tiptoes and could almost reach the bottom of the bag.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t order them. My mom makes them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker dropped back on the flats of his feet and turned to Danny aghast, “You aren’t just hoarding candy but homemade ones! You jerk!” he playfully slapped Danny’s chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He buckled back slightly and felt the treat he’d been savoring move dangerously towards the back of his throat. “Stop you’re gonna make me choke.” he did his best to shoo Tucker away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker took his downed guard as his chance and grabbed the bag out of Danny’s grip. Before Danny could warn him Tucker popped one in his mouth. “Hey, these are pretty good. No wonder you’ve been hiding from me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then there was a crunch as Tucker attempted to bite it in half. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny visibly winced as the sound of metal screeched against Tucker’s teeth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker was still for a moment, then spit the contents into his open hand. “What the heck?”  He turned the small circular treat over to better see the center. “Is that a penny?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was going to warn you that you’re supposed to suck on those, like a peppermint?” Danny carefully reached for the bag back and closed the drawstrings again. “Sometimes they have a surprise inside...” he shrugged hoping that was convincing enough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker kept looking at the penny, then glanced at Danny, “Are all native Earthlings this weird, or is it just your family?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just my family.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tucker shook his head and dislodged the penny before popping the candy back in his mouth. “I guess I’ll give your useless prize then.” He tossed the wet penny back too Danny.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny grinned as Tucker walked out and the delicious coppery center of his own candy hit his taste buds.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Day 19 - Food</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny has a habit of just exposing himself to the ambiance of the Ghost Zone. Jazz catches him in the act and has a theory as to why he has that habit.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2016 calendar, day 17</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sometimes, late at night after a patrol, Danny would open the portal doors and fly in after he released the ghosts. He didn’t need to enter to do this, and it was actually a very risky thing to do, but the feeling he’d get seemed worth it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just floating in that swirling vortex of the Zone gave him a strange sense of calm. Was it the ambient sounds, or possibly the constant pulse of energy that enveloped the place? Either way, it was nice to just </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span> in there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He never stayed too long, too many enemies and hostile creatures to just stand around and do nothing. Never knew what was lurking out there in the distance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On one of these nights, his sister caught him in the act. “What are you doing in there Little Brother?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me?” he quickly flew out and closed the doors with a small ectoblast. “Just emptying out the thermos.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She squinted over her mug in suspicion, “But the thermos dispenser is over there. You don’t need to open the portal to use it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I could ask why you’re up so late, but I won’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jazz rolls her eyes. “I just came downstairs to get some tea and I heard the portal open. And you’re lucky it was me up there and not Dad getting a midnight snack.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny lets out a sigh and drops down so his feet hit the floor, “Look, I don’t know how to describe this, but I was only in there because...” he hesitates, “it feels good?” he groans and adds, “No, that didn’t come out right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He switches back to floating and sits mid-air cross-legged to try and think of a better word. It was a lot easier to think when he didn’t have to also concentrate on letting gravity affect him. There had to be a better word, or maybe a single word wouldn’t do it. “You know that feeling when it’s a rainy day and you don’t have anything to do so you just wrap yourself up in a blanket and sit on your bed and listen to the rain while you have a nice hot cocoa?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Content?” she guessed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure? If that’s what that means.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It means you’re happy with the way things are.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sort of sounds right.” He thought for a moment, “maybe it’s more of a, more like after you’ve had a good meal and you’re not full but you’re... um.. oh what’s it called?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Satisfied?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah!” he popped up out of his sitting position and flew a bit closer to his sister. “Oh thank you! That would have bugged me forever.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No problem.” She took another sip of her tea, “Quick question, are you hungry right now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you before you went in?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was he? “I don’t think so, why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I think, now it’s just a theory, but perhaps you, or your ghost-half rather, was. And perhaps the Ghost Zone’s ectoplasmic radiation is the kind of thing you need? To just, recharge or feed off the energy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny thought about that. If that was true then maybe he was a bit more ghostlike then he thought...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or maybe I just like the quiet.” He punctuated the statement by flying off and phasing his way back into his bedroom as his sister groaned in protest.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Day 20 - Valerie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Valerie has been working on becoming a better hunter.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2013 calendar day 22</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She had him right where she wanted him, months of hunting had revealed his patterns. Well, actually it more like all the “research” she had been doing in the last few weeks, which some might call stalking. The only reason she did it was because she realized that if she kept doing the same thing over and over she’d only get the same results. And so far those results were not getting her what she wanted. And she wanted revenge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took all she had at first not to just go in guns blazing when she saw him fly by. She watched how he interacted with the other ghosts, all while doing her best not to be seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, she would go fight him, but only to keep him on his toes. That’s when she noticed the difference, he was pulling his punches. Did he not think she could handle it? Was this an insult? Or was this more of a game to him? Any one of those options made her blood boil, and it made catching him all the more necessary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she was being honest with herself, all the time and effort she put into tricking and trapping the ghost boy might have been better put towards her schooling, but the thought of finally getting her revenge against the ghost who ruined her and her father’s lives was too sweet to pass up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few “missed” shots to guide him in the right directions and a ghost proof trap to catch him with made it almost too easy. But the real show had yet to begin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When planning her capture she also had to find a place to keep him after the fact. It had to be somewhere no one would bother them, or hear them. Luckily for her, there was an old forgotten warehouse near the river, this place gave her plenty of room and solitude. It might even make a nice base to keep her dad from having too much control over her, when she clearly knew what she was doing. At first, she was worried she would have to set up the trap a good distance away from the final location, or that if she was too far he might have enough time to figure a way out. Good thing she found she found a large supply of tranquilizers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the basement of the warehouse is where she set up, cuffing him to the old pipes to make sure he was nice and uncomfortable. The built-in workbench made a lovely display for all her weapons and tools. And the timing of her dad’s out-of-town work-seminar and the school’s long weekend couldn’t have been more perfect. And an easy fib to her manager about how she would be out of town herself didn’t hurt either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as she was getting a bit antsy the ghost boy groaned as the tranquilizer wore off. Valarie picked up the nearest ecto-knife and stepped into the light. “Glad you’re finally awake. Now let’s see what you’re really made of.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Day 21 - Spectra</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Danny finds an old diary.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Prompt from the 2014 calendar day 10</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He was taking a test in lit class when his ghost sense went off. Immediately his head popped up as he scanned the room for trouble. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary here, but Danny still carefully set down his pencil and slowly started to get out of his seat only to be stopped by a clearing throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And where do you think you're going?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny hesitated, stuck mid-rise from the desk as he tried to think of a good lie. “Pencil. Sharpen it?” Great time to not use real sentences, Danny thought to himself as he stood up fully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teacher just rolled their eyes with a scoff and went back to reading the newspaper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took his perfectly fine pencil to the sharper by the door and snapped the tip-off as he walked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once he felt it was safe he looked up and scanned the room again still feeling like there was a ghost nearby, but not finding it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking out into the hall was a bit awkward from his position with the sharpener being attached to a small wall just behind the door frame. After a quick scan to make sure no-one was looking, he used his intangibility to poke his head through the wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His ghost sense went off again, stronger this time, but still no clear source.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a sigh, he pulled his head back through and tried to think of where else he could look so he wouldn't be wandering around aimlessly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Fenton, if you sharpen that pencil anymore I'm going to have to confiscate it as a weapon.” The teacher half-joked in a monotone without looking away from the paper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny took what was left of his pencil from the sharpener, it had lost half of its size but was pointier than it had ever been. He hadn't even realized he'd still been sharpening it the whole time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not wanting to draw any more attention to himself, he quickly finished his test, no longer caring about getting them right, or even remembering what the topic was. As long as he was the first one done he could slip out and investigate without having to worry about his classmates getting in harm's way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He packed up his things and slid the test on the teacher's desk without a word as he walked the fastest speed-walk he knew he could do without being yelled at for running.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still unsure as to where he was going he decided to treat this as more of a stealth mission and used his invisibility. Making a quick pit-stop at his locker to switch his school things for the Thermos and a change in form, he floated down the hall hoping that it was just some minor ghost.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he rounded a corner he could hear something scratching in the unused room ahead. His ghost sense went off again stopping him just outside the closed door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hall was empty so he dropped his invisibility but paused again when the light from his glow hit something just to the right of the doorframe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A broken nameplate still declared ownership of the room, despite the previous owner being long gone. Ms. Penelope Spectra.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even just reading her name caused a shudder to run down his spine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please don’t be in there. Please don’t be in there. Please don’t be in there.” Danny muttered in hopes that maybe he didn’t have all the rotten luck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room was in dusty shambles; almost as if it wasn’t inside a functioning school, but instead some decrepit old house on a hill somewhere. The old photos of sad teenagers alternated between hanging in crocked dangerous angles or not at all. A filing cabinet on the far side of the room looked to have a large, possibly person-sized, dent in the front causing the drawers to buckle in ways to keep their contents in tighter teasing grips. Open enough to see inside but wedged too tightly to retrieve the contents.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A small cat-like ghost with five tendrils instead of a single tail was in the corner scratching up what was left of the wallpaper in the far corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What on earth are you doing in here?” Danny asked the cat-ghost not expecting an answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cat turned, its six red spider-like eyes looking him over before turning back to its previous destruction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Well, not that I mind you tearing up the joint, I probably shouldn’t just leave you here.” Danny brought his legs up to sit cross-legged mid-air as he continued this debate with himself, “But you really aren’t doing anything too horrible. Not really horrible at all if I’m being honest. Then again this could be one of those times where if I leave it, it gets worse later. Or maybe it’s one of those times where leaving it alone is better because bothering it makes it worse?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny let out a groan and flopped back into the air as if it was a floating couch just for him. “I really don’t like these sorts of decisions.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He flipped his position so his stomach was facing down now and floated over to the cat. “You don’t suppose you could just wander on back to the Ghost Zone on your own could you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cat continued to claw at the wall, the old wallpaper now just dusty ribbons on the floor. Even the paint from an even older layer started to chip away and add to the pile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carefully not to get to close to the cat, Danny floated a little lower, “What are you trying to get to anyway? Can’t be much in there but some drywall or whatever, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take too much longer before the cat scratched a hole big enough to stick its paw into. After a good few swings inside the hole it a ghost rat phased right on through the wall and scampered about the room as it tried to escape the cat. One lap and then they both took a leap into a dark shadow and disappeared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was about to leave when he heard something shift inside the wall where the cat had been demolishing. Dropping down into a low squat to get a better look he could see what looked like the corner of a book, but the hole was much too small to pull it through. Then he remembered he was a ghost and just phased his hand into the wall and pulled the book out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a small notebook, easily fitting into a single hand. The cover was soft old leather, the pages yellowed and stiff from their time locked up in the wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Danny took a peek at the first page to find a simple message in a neat script.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"This Book Belongs to Penny S.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a then added text, in a quicker scrawl, as if it was added last minute.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“If you aren’t me, put this back! It’s private!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No way...” Danny turned the page with a sinking suspicion of what this was. He didn’t have to read far to confirm his theory.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Dear Diary, </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>
      <br/>
    </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Today Cynthia was being SO rude to me. She said I’d never get a boyfriend if I couldn’t properly wear make-up. Who says I even want one right now!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He read a bit more of the first page, but couldn’t quite tell when it was written. It seemed like an old book, and there seemed to be some outdated slang, but he was never good at figuring out these sorts of things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure what it was, but something about the book seemed very familiar. But it wasn’t a nice sort of familiar with a long lost friend. Even though words on the page, those seemed like the lost memories of some teenage girl that he honestly felt like he could relate to, maybe could have befriended if she was around nowadays.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This old diary made him feel, uncomfortable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it was where he found it? The red of the cover did almost match the color of the outfit she wore when they had first met.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should I put it back?” he asked himself aloud hoping that would make his choice easier. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then again, someone else would be bound to find it. He should just keep it with him. It’s not like he had to read it to keep a hold of it. Maybe he could find the owner and give it back?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever he was going to do, he’d deal with it later, the bell just rang and he still had school to finish. It was time for lunch after all.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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